


Red Bandana

by LuckyBossuet



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not in a kinky way, Other, Pining, Pining David Jacobs, jack just hides it better, les is more competent than his brother, neckwear, these dumbass boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:14:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24552181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyBossuet/pseuds/LuckyBossuet
Summary: otherwise known as  "5 Times Davey Realised Jack Treats Him Differently, and 1 Time He Treated Jack"
Relationships: David Jacobs & Les Jacobs, David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Les Jacobs & Jack Kelly, Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins, newsies friendships
Comments: 8
Kudos: 110





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> the title comes from something used in the mid-late 19th century where a red bandana would be worn to indicate who was dancing the 'woman's' part in a dance, which became used to indicate that you were a gay man to other gay men.

#  **1**

David noticed the difference for the first time when he and Crutchie trip on the uneven cobblestones within days of each other.

Crutchie’s leg had been bothering him. Apparently, it’s worse when it gets cold, the muscles in his already bum leg getting stiff. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise when, while he and Jack were waiting for Crutchie to get back to the Lodging with David’s brother that the younger boy came running, shouting at the pair that Crutchie had fallen and Les couldn’t help him up.

Jack took the lead, nearly dropping the red bandana he had been retying, he may be shorter than David, but he has more practice running, so he reaches the blonde boy first.

By the time David gets there with Les, Jack has already pulled Crutchie up, joking “Ya don’ haffa fall over ya’self to get ma attention ya’know, Charl.”

Later in the week the ground is iced over, and Davey only has time to think “Shit” before he’s flat on his back.  _ I really should have been watching where I was walking. _

In a flash, Jack is at his side, pulling him up. The worry is evident on his face as he pats Davey’s sides down, looking all over for injuries.

“Jack, I’m okay, just slipped,” he reassures his friend,  _ Why is he more worried than when Crutchie slipped? _

#  **2**

Smalls had been coughing all night the next time something felt new.

The girl, one of the few in the Manhattan Lodgings, was, as her nickname suggested, on the petite side. She was also young, so most of the boys saw her as a little sister.

When she woke up with a fever, Jack let her have his more comfortable bed and made sure Race, who would have been her selling partner that day, would buy enough papes for Smalls to still get some money today.

The others organised who would come and check on the girl, while Jack took out his bandana, dampened it and placed it on Small’s forehead to help with the fever. After this, he left, explaining to David why he was late, and apologising profusely.

A couple of weeks later, David wakes up with a migraine so painful he nearly doesn’t make it to a bucket to throw up in.

His mother comes in before she heads to work with some water and kisses his forehead.

David vaguely hears her ask Les to tell “Davey’s newsboy friends” that he won’t be able to come today before he falls back asleep.

After what he assumes was hours, David wakes up to tapping on his window. Thankfully, his migraine had been demoted to a mere headache, otherwise he would throw a shoe at whoever was knocking.

Given that this turns out to be Jack, Davey is very glad about that fact.

“What’re you doing here Jackie?” Davey slurs, the remnants of sleep and sickness affecting his voice.

“Les said you ain’t feelin’ well, gotcha soup,” Jack grins back, the smile disarming Davey, especially given he isn’t quite with it.

Davey blinks back, needing a moment to process the fact that  _ Jack Kelly _ came to his house, late at night, to bring him soup. The pause makes Jack’s grin fade, the other boy setting the container down, “I’ll, er, i’ll jus’ get outta ya’ hair, letcha rest up an’-“

“NO!” Davey shouts, “That is, you, ah. That’s a decent amount of soup, do you, erm, want to share it?”  _ do you want to share it, what’s wrong with you Jacobs? _

It works though, Jack’s smile is back, “Sure thing, ‘sides I know ya’ parents ain’t offa work till midnight. ‘Spose someone’s gotta make sure ya don’t die till then.”

They end up finishing the soup between them before Davey gets tired, Jack offers to stay, “Least till I hear ya folks gettin’ back, Les said one of ‘em’s picking him up from the Lodge t’night?”

“Hm, yeah I think Ma said that,” he tips his head onto Jack’s chest, inhibitions dulled by his tiredness. “I think I’d like it if you stayed Jackie.”

He feels an arm wrap around him, gently pulling so that the two boys are both horizontal on Davey’s bed. “Then I guess I’m gon’ stay a while,” is all he hears before drifting off to sleep.

When he wakes, Jack’s gone, but his red bandana is lying on Davey’s floor. He picks it up and puts it in his bag for later.

#  **3**

David doesn’t experience the third time first hand, but through Les.

* * *

Les wakes up to hear one of the other ‘littlens’ crying, he wasn’t sure who, it was dark and the younger newsies at the lodge were less structured about bed claiming than the older ones.

He and David had stayed the night at the lodging house, not uncommon since it had gotten colder and became dark sooner, but the older boys didn’t tend to come into the younger kids’ area.

However, a shout from whoever was having a nightmare meant that the door was flung open, and Les saw Jack come in and sit with whoever had woken up so fearfully.

“Okay, er, crying, shit, sorry. Erm, you’re okay, promise, I mean, you’re not gonna get hurt here, generally I mean, oh shoot-“

Jack’s (unsuccessful) attempts at comforting the child carried on for a minute or so until Racer came in and took over.

“Jack you know yous ain’t helpful when the littlens are cryin’,” he admonished, “’member when you ac’dently made onea them cry more?”

“Yeah, right, sorry, Race, Imma just-. Yeah.”

* * *

Once morning came and Les was out selling papers with David the older boy asked about why Jack and Race got up during the night, so Les told the whole thing.

“I guess he isn’t great with upset people, huh.”

There was a thoughtful look on David’s face when he replied, “I guess not.”

David Jacobs was crying, so hard that he thought his lungs were going to burst. He wanted to stop, but he didn’t think he could hold it in front of Les without letting it out first.

Their father’s leg had gotten worse, and while the doctor said that they think he’ll recover, there was no certainty.

Hearing someone come around the corner, Davey tries to wipe his eyes before they see, but relaxes when he sees that it’s just Jack.  _ Since when do I not care about Jack seeing me cry? _

_ Maybe around the same time I started being worried about how people see us… _

“Davey? What’s wrong?” Jack crouches in front of Davey, grabbing the other boy’s hands, “What happened, yous okay?”

“Sorry,” Davey pulls a hand away to wipe his eyes again, stuttering for a moment when Jack does it with his red bandana, “I- I just, er,” he takes a deep breath, “Dad’s leg, it got an infection, they think he’ll be okay, but-“

Just like that, Jack pulls Davey into a hug, falling back onto his butt, one hand on Davey’s back, one in his hair, just holding, and Davey suddenly feels so much better.

_ I should be nervous that one guy has this effect on me, but he just feels like home. Why is that? _

Eventually, Davey manages to calm down enough that he can pull away from Jack, but not really wanting to. Davey manages to thank him before Les and Romeo come around the corner.

“What’re you guys doing on the floor, s’too cold ta be lying down there,” Romeo smirks at them.

“We, oh, we were just-“ David tries to stammer out.

“Davey here slipped ‘gain, managed ta pull me down wi’him an all when I tried t’pull ‘im up,” Jack smoothly covered for them, “Might wanna get walking lessons ‘gain Davey.”

Jack smiled at him, jumping up and holding out a hand to pull David up with.

_ Oh, that’s why he feels like that. _

__

_ I love him. _


	2. Chapter 2

#  4

The fourth time, it’s because of Romeo’s flirting. Not with Jack or David, no, with a dressmaker’s assistant who bought a paper every morning from Romeo’s usual spot.

He had been flirting with her when she passed, and thought she had been flirting back. The day Romeo decided to make a move, Jack and David had been passing on the way back to the square.

“How ‘bouts you ‘n’ me go get a drink later?”

“I’m sorry? Listen flirting was fun, but you see, I can’t  _ seriously _ be courted by…” she trailed off, looking Romeo up and down.

“By wha? A newsie, someone who ain’t got a job where ya wear a suit e’ry day?” Romeo passed her the paper she was buying, “Here’s ya paper  **ma’am** .”

He looked hurt as the women hurried off.

That was Romeo’s last paper of the day, so he turned to head back and noticed Jack and David. Neither of the other boys knew what to say, so Jack just wrapped an arm around Romeo’s shoulders and ruffled his hair.

“Yous gonna get’em next time Ro, I know it,” he consoled his friend, keeping his arm around Romeo until they got back to the square.

“I, I’m sorry, miss, but-”

“Oh,” the girl looks disappointed, “Okay, I’ll erm, I’ll see you later then David?”

“Yeah, sorry.”

Elise, who had been in David’s class, before he had to drop out and joined the newsies, gives him a sad smile as she takes her paper and leaves. Davey feels someone clap a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he sees that it’s Jack, suddenly looking relieved, and Davey can feel the tension that had been radiating off of him is now gone. He can also see Jack’s face returning to its normal arrangement.

_ Was he glaring at her? Was he jealous? _

Davey smiles back,  _ wishful thinking David. _

“Should we head back? Everyone else is,” he asks, before Les kicks him in the shin,  _ I’d forgotten you were there,  _ “Ow! Les what the?”

“Remember what Ma said this mornin’?” the younger Jacobs glared at his brother while Jack looked between the brothers in confusion.

“Oh, right,” Davey turned to Jack, “Ma offered to have you for dinner, since you’ve been such a good friend when we needed one. You up for it?”

Jack, looking surprised by the offer, “Really?” both brothers nod, “Yeah, Fo’sure, sounds good!”

Jack starts grinning wide, before turning to Specs, who just appeared from around a corner to head back to the Lodging, “YO SPECS! Tell the other’s not ta wait, kay?”

Specs gives a thumbs up, and the trio leave towards the Jacobs’ apartment.

#  **5**

David froze as he approached the square, hearing someone murmuring. It sounded like Jack.

Carefully, he peeked around the corner and saw Jack dabbing at a cut on Buttons’ lip with his bandana, the red of the material hiding Buttons’ blood.

“I swear I did’n- I did’n mean to. I’m sorry, I-” Buttons’ voice sounded broken.

“S’okay ‘tons. Ain’t on yous, you ain’t the on tha treats ya like this. You don’ ask ya Pa fer this,” Jack’s voice was gentle, not like the loud volume he normally has when talking to his boys.

David knew that Buttons had issues at home, which is why he often stays at the Lodging house despite being one of the few newsies with living family. He hadn’t realised it was this bad; couldn’t even imagine his Ma or Pa doing something like this to him and Les.

David stayed around the corner from Jack and Buttons until he heard Buttons leave,  _ this isn’t something you’d want someone to overhear. _ It was really better to pretend he hadn’t heard anything.

“Get offa ‘im!”

Davey hears someone shouting at Morris, or was it Oscar? Then he can hear footsteps, both coming towards him and going away, and a thud, as if someone has thrown something at another person.

Davey manages to roll onto his back, looking up at his saviour.

_ Of course it’s Jack, always here just when I need him _ , he thinks fondly.

“Jesus, Dave, you okay? Looks like Morris did a real number on ya’, did’n he?” Jack holds out a hand to pull Davey up.

Davey takes the hand and looks at Jack once he’s on his feet, seeing the red bandana ever present on Jack’s person.

He chokes back a sob.

“Whoa, Davey,” the fond nickname pulls another sob out, “What ‘append, why’d he hit ya, they don’t us’lly come afta us outside’a the square.”

Davey sniffs, “Ca-can we do this somewhere else, I-I don’t-“

“Shit, yea, course,” Jack pulls one of Davey’s arms over his shoulders, “Le’s get back ta the Lodge, Imma take ya to the pent’ouse, Kay? No one’s gonna come up der.”

By the time the pair of them get to the Lodge, Davey has managed to calm himself down a bit and think. He ends up remembering a conversation with Race that he had a few days ago.

_ “… and he defi’ly wears a red bandana, if ya knows what I’m sayin’.” Racetrack finished, nudging David’s arm with his. _

_ “No?” he questioned, “What’s it mean?” _

_ “Serious?” David nodded, “Huh, given how much time yous been spendin’ wit Cowboy I’da think you’d know. Basically, out West they do these country dances, an’ cos they don’t got many ladies, the men doing the leading wears blue bandanas in their pockets, the ones doin’ the ladies’ bit have red ones. So, wearing a red bandana started being a way ta’ say you wanna dance wit’ a fella, so ta speak.” _

_ David blinked, “So you, you and Spot Colon?” _

_ “Yup,” the other boy smirked, “but don’ go tellin’ nobody, he’s gotta ‘reputation’.” _

_ Racetrack put the words ‘reputation’ in quote marks with his fingers, “You ne’er wondered how come Kelly wears one all t’time?” _

_ “I just thought he liked red?” _

_ Race burst out laughing, “No, man. Well, maybe, but point is he’s inta fellas, an’ if me an’ Crutchie boy ain’t wrong so’s you.” _

_ David felt himself go red, not denying it. _

_ “Don’ worry, Dave, non’a us’re gonna tell, we’s gotta stick t’gether.” _

Now, with Jack carefully tending to his injuries, Davey has to wonder if his feelings are entirely unrequited.

Looking at Jack’s carefully concentrating face, however, Davey is suddenly filled with dread.

_ What if Race was wrong? Or just winding me up. What if he wasn’t and Jack just doesn’t see me like that? _

The fear overwhelms Davey, until he starts crying again. Jack, careful of Davey’s injuries, pulls the taller man into his arms, holding him close and shushing him until Davey is finally able to choke out words.

“Jackie?”

“Yeah?”

“Do, do you still want to know why Morris came after me?”

“If yous okay sharing it, Davey, yeah.”

“He, he found- he found out tha-that I-“ Davey’s voice breaks.

Jack rubs his hand up and down Davey’s back, gently asking “Tha’cha what Davey?”

Davey takes a breath, remembering his conversation with Racetrack.

“That I ‘wear a red bandana’.”

Jack’s hand stills.

“D’ya -hem- d’ya know what that means, metaphorical like?”

“I do. I do and...”

“An’ what?”

Davey pulls back to look Jack in the eyes..

“And I really like you, specifically.”

Jack blinks in shock.

“Me? You- yous interested in me?” Davey nods and a huge grin lights up Jack’s face, “I like you a whole lot too, specifically.”

Davey manoeuvres himself to be sat on top of Jack’s lap, “You’re sure?”

“As sure as I am ‘bout anythin’ Davey. It’s you, only and always been you.”

Davey blushes as he asks, “Can I kiss you?”

Instead of with words, Jack answers by pulling on Davey’s vest to connect their lips, kissing him fiercely and possessively, like a man kept from water suddenly presented with a gallon of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just a lil' fluffy ending

#  +1

Davey climbs up the fire escape on the Lodge, careful of the rusty rungs and the icy steps. Listening, he can hear Jack rustling around on the roof.

When Davey pokes his head about the roof line, Jack is bustling about, moving sheets of paper and buckets of pencils, paints and brushes.

“You don’t have to hide those you know,” Davey calls out to his, whatever they are now.

_ We haven’t talked about it, but I know that I’m his and he’s mine. That’s all that matters. _

Jack perks up at Davey’s voice, puppy-like, “Davey! Yous early! I was gonna meetcha at the bottom.”

Davey takes the hand Jack offers to help him up with, careful not to spill anything out of the basket he’s carrying.

“An’ ya brought dinner too! How’d I get so lucky,” Jack exclaims, placing a kiss on Davey’s cheek and laughing when it turns his face bright red.

Jack unties his bandana, using the red fabric to pull Davey towards him and down towards his lips.

Sitting down on the rooftop, New York’s skyline stretching out in front of them, Davey wraps his arms around Jack, who presses a kiss where Davey’s jaw meets his neck and feels safe.

On a New York rooftop, away from bulls and bullies, away from people who would try and tell them they’re wrong, two boys are happy in each other’s arms.

**Author's Note:**

> source for the not at the top  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handkerchief_code#Origin


End file.
